Shaft-mounting.



No. 706,088. Patented Aug. 5, I902 H. MGCURNACK.

SHAFT MOUNTING.

(Application filed. July 26, 1901.)

(No Model.

U i I a vwewtoz I r QHOWJ XJGM UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

HERBERT MCCORNACK, OF \VESTCHESTER,PENNSYLVANIA.

SHAFT-MOUNTING.

SPIQGIFICATIONforming part of Letters Patent No. 706,088, dated August5,1902.

Application filed July 26, 1901 To all whom. it may concern:

Be it known that I, HERBERT MCCORNACK, a citizen of the United States ofAmerica, and a resident of Westchester, in the county of Chester andState of Pennsylvania, have invented certain new and useful Improvementsin Shaft-Mountings for'Oenti-ifugal Machines, 850., of which thefollowingis a specification.

My invention relates to improvements in the mounting of rotary machineryof high velocity, and particularly of centrifugal machines havingrapidly-rotated drums in which to subject material loosely carriedtherein to the centrifugal action developed by rapid rotation. In thisclass of machinery peculiar nicety of adjustment of the supportingmechanism to particular conditions is required in order to insuresatisfactory operation, extraordinary speed of rotation being combinedwith a varying weight of mobile matter, the slightest shifting of whichor the development otherwise of any undue influence tending to more orless seriously interfere with the proper operation of the machine.

The object of my invention is to so construct and arrange the rotaryshaft or drum and its bearings as to provide for an automatic adjustmentof the same correspond with or correct any variations 0 the mechanicalaxis from the natural axis of rotation 5 and to this end my inventionconsists, first, in certain improvements in the supporting-bearingwhereby the axis of the shaft may be shifted under stress, thoughconstantly tending to return to normal; second, in providing anon-rebounding frictional steadying device adapted to limit and stop anyswaying movement of the drum or shaft, and, lastly, in'the combinationof these several features with a flexible spindle to jointly efiect thecorrections called for by disturbing forces occurring during rotation.

The invention is fully described in connection with the accompanyingdrawing, and the novel features are particularly pointed out in theclaims.

The drawing shows a sectional elevation of a portion of a centrifugalmachine having my improvements applied thereto.

The illustration indicates a well-known type of centrifugal drum 1 forseparating compound liquids suspended by means of my Serial molten. (Nomodel.)

improved shaft and bearing and steadied atits free lower end by mynon-rebounding steadying device, said drum being provided, as usual inthis type of centrifugal machine, with a central feed-inlet 2,communicating with a fixed nozzle 3, wings 4 therein to rotate theinflowing liquid, and separate outlets 5 and 6, respectively, fordischarging the difierent constituents and being carried by a fixedframe 7 and inclosed by a fixed casing S. The

fixed receiving-pans 9 and 10, commonly employed in these machines tocatch the discharging constituents, as well as the other details of theparticular mechanism indicated, form no part of my present invention,which relates exclusively to the shaft-mounting and is equallyapplicable to a mechanism differing considerably from that shown.

The top of the drum 1 is shown provided with a rigid spindle or shaftportion 11, which is coupled, as hereinafter described, to aseparately-formed extension 12. This shaft extension 12 is shownprovided at the top with a cone-sleeve 13 and isarrauged to be rotatedby any suitable driving mechanism. The cone-sleeve 13 bears upon acircular series of balls 14, arranged around the body 15 of the shaft ina circular raceway formed as follows: An inverted cup or sleeve 16,formed with a circular flange l7, overhanging the balls and fittedwithin a cylindrical recess 18, provided in the carrying-frame, isadapted to loosely receive a band-ring'19, which encircles the circularseries of balls 14, and also a yieldingly-supported bearing-ring 20 forsaid band-ring 19. This bearing-ring 20 is supported by a follower-ring21, adjustably secured beneath the same through interposed springs 22,which latter press it upward, so as to hold the upper face of theband-ring 19 in contact with the circular interior shoulder or offset 23in the inverted cup. The balls 14 are also supported upon saidfollower-ring 21, preferably on an independent spring-seat 24, forming ayielding hearing such as is frequently provided in centrifugal machines,said spring-seat 24 being centered, as shown, in an intermediate ring25, through which the springs 22 loosely pass to press upon thebearing-ring 20 and band-ring 19.

To provide for permitting a slight lateral movement of the shaft duringrotation, while at the same time constantly tending to maintain itcentral, I make the band-ring 19 somewhat smaller in diameter than thebearingring 20,,which latter also loosely fits within the inverted cup16, and provide it with a conical seat within said bearing-ring, thuspermitting,it to be moved laterally therein, but only by acting as awedge to compress the springs 22, which tend to return it to centralposition.

The spindle-shaft 11 of the drum is coupled to the extension 12, so asto conveniently permit of connection or disconnection and at the sametime allow the shaft to bend during rotation, so that the rotating drumand contents may adjust itself to the normal axis of rotation passingthrough the actual center of gravity, which latter may vary slightly athigh speeds from the mechanical axis notwithstanding the greatest careand accuracy in construction. As shown, the fixed shaft 11 is bored outat the end to receive the hollow coupling-sleeve 30, which fits looselyin said bore and is notched at 31 to engage an interiorly-projecting pin32 in the bore. This coupling-sleeve is provided with a longitudinalslot 33, extending to within a short distance of its upper end, so thatunder the action of centrifugal force during rotation the slottedportion will tend to spread .and so snugly engage the bore of the shaft11. The shaft extension 12 also is provided with a longitudinal slot 34and has an enlarged lower end 35, which fits loosely within the lowerbore of the coupling-sleeve and seats against a shoulder 36 in thelatter, the body of the shaft extension passingloosely through thereduced upper bore of the sleeve. When the machine is at rest, thelatter is readily moved upon the shaft extension 12 and within the boreof the shaft 11 to couple or uncouple these parts. When rotated,however, the slotted parts are expanded by centrifugal force, so as toform a tight fit, giving increasing grip and stiffness as the speed ofrotation increases, but at all times providing a flexibility, due to theadjustability of the slotted parts under a bending strain, which permitsof such bending to the limited extent practically required to get therotating mass into the proper axis of rotation without involving anytorsional weakness in the shaft or objectionable lateral strain upon theball-bearing above, which latter, however, as already described, isarranged to naturally adj ust itself to such lateral strain as may bebrought upon it.

The lower end of the suspended drum 1 has the central feed-inlet 2formed in a bottom spindle extension 40, to which my steadying device isapplied. The fixed nozzle 3, already referred to, is arranged to deliverinto this hollow spindle through a fixed mouthpiece 41, screwed into theframe of the ma: chine and carrying a sleeve 42, which rises through achamber 43, formed above said mouthpiece, so as to serve as a drip-cupcommunicating through openings 44 in said sleeve, thus allowingdri'ppingsaccumulaia ing in said chamber or drip-cup to be caught up bythe inflowing jet and delivered with the latter into the rotating drum.This feed arrangement itself forms no part of my present invention,being described-and claimed in my application, Serial No. 24,860, filedJuly 26, 1900; but the sleeve 42, into the upper portion of which thehollow spindle 40 loosely extends, is provided with mynon-reboundingsteadyingdevice. Thisdevice consists, as here shown, of acontact-ring 45, preferably formed of wood or other light material,which may be tightly inclosed in a shell of thin sheet metal to give itgreater strength and wearing quality without adding substantially to itsweight. The inner diameter of this ring is slightly greater than thediameter of the hollow spindle 40, which extends into it, and itsoutside diameter less than the bore of the sleeve 42, in which latter itis carried on a spring or springs 47, seated on the mouthpiece 41 andadapted to press it upward against an interior circular shoulder 48 inthe sleeve This pressure, which maybe made more or less, as desired,pushes the contactring against the shoulder 48 sufficiently hard toprevent its movement thereon without overcoming a substantial amount offriction thus produced independently of the weight of the ring, whichlatteris so insignificant as to have practically no elfect. The eifectof this pressure arrangement, however, is to provide ayielding yetnon-rebounding steadying device for the rotating spindle in case thelatter tends to wabble or sway from the true axis of rotation, whichvery promptly and efiectually limits and stops any such unsteadiness ofmovement, and I have found in practice that this satisfactory result isonly attainable by practically eliminating any rebounding action such asoccurs when the contact device is either in fixed position or has anyspring action tending to return it to a normal position or a rebound dueto the inertia of the device itself. The frictional resistance, which Iprovide independently of the weight of the contact device, enables me topractically avoid this rebound from inertia, and thus attain the desiredresult.

V The primary action and effect of the bandring 19 and its spring-backedbearing-ring 20 in the ball-bearing construction previously describedare similar to those of the steadying device 45 at the free end of thesuspended shaft, the bearing-ring 20 being slightly smaller in diameterthan the interior of thecup 16, (about one-hundredth of an inch, forinstance,) allowing of a slight lateral movement of the shaft by merelyovercoming the frictional resistance of the bandring against thecircular shoulder 23, after which any further movement is opposed by thewedging action of the band-ring on the bearing-ring, with the resultingtendency to return the shaft to its central position, as alreadydescribed.

IIO

The flexible shaft construction shown in connection with my presentinvention will form the subject-matter of a separate application.

The joint effect of the several features of my invention thus fullydescribed is to provide for an automatic adjustment of the parts to thenatural axis of rotation, thereby insuring the easy and steady runningof the mechanism under the varying conditions already referred to.

What I claim is- 1. The combination with a suitably-supported shaft ofan independently-supported steadying device therefor inclosing the shaftand movable bodily therewith in a lateral direction and meansindependentof the weight of the device for providing frictionalresistance to such movement.

2. The combination with asuitably-supported shaft of a steadying devicetherefor inclosing the shaft, a seat on which said device is adapted tobe moved bodily in a lateral direction by swinging of the shaft, andmeans for pressing said device against its seat independently of theweight of the device.

The combination with a suitably-supported shaft of a steadying devicetherefor inclosing the shaft, a seat on which said device is adapted tobe moved bodily in a lateral direction by swinging of the shaft, andadjustable means for pressing said device against its seat to provide aregulated frictional resistance to such movement independently of theweight of the device.

4. The combination with a suitably -supported rotary shaft of a fixedsleeve loosely inclosing the same and provided with an interior flange,a steadying device loosely located in the annular space between theshaft and the inclosing sleeve, and a spring topress the device againstsaid flange to provide frictional resistance to lateral movementthereof.

5. The combination with a suitably-supported shaft, of alaterally-movable steadying device therefor inclosing the same, a fixedring or sleeve loosely inclosing the shaft and forming a seat for saidsteadying device, and a spring or springs for pressing the latteragainst said seat.

6. The combination with a suitably-supported shaft, of alaterally-movable steadying device therefor inclosing the same, a fixedseat for said movable steadying device, and means for pressing thelatter against said seat and for yieldingly pressing the same laterallytoward its normal central position.

7. The combination with a shaft, a supporting-bearing therefor and afixed ring or sleeve loosely surrounding the shaft and forming abearing-flange, of an independentlysupported steadying device comprisinga band-ring inclosin g the shaft and a conical-seat bearingring, and aspring-support for said bearingring arranged to press the band-ringagainst said flange.

8. The combination with a shaft, a supportin g-bearing therefor and afixed sleeve loosely surrounding the shaft and formed with an interiorflange, of an independently-supported steadying device comprising aband-ring inclosing the shaft and a conical-seat bearingring, and aspring-support for said bearing ring arranged to press the band ringagainst said flange, said band-ring and bearing-ring having jointly alimited lateral movement with the shaft.

9. The combination with a shaft and a sus pension-bearing therefor, of anon-rebound ing laterally-movable frictional steadying device arrangedto contact with the dependent portion thereof when the latter is swayedfrom the normal axis of rotation.

10. The combination with a shaft having a flexible portion,of asnspension-bearin g therefor located above said flexible portion, and alaterally-movable frictional steadying device therefor located below thesame.

11. The combination with a shaft having a flexible portion,of asuspension-bearin g therefor located above said flexible portion andlaterally-movable frictional steadying devices located respectivelyabove and below said flexible portion.

. Signed at Westchester this 12th day of July, 1901.

HERBERT MOCORNACIL WVitnesses:

MARY E. RUPERT, WALTER C. MUNSHOWER.

